Austroflamm Integra FS poor flame not burning efficiently

mr3313 · Jan 21, 2013

Hello,

I am new to pellet stoves so please bear with me. I was recently given a 1992 model Austroflamm Integra FS. After operating the stove for over a month, I have noticed the flame is not as strong as it was initially. We clean the pipes daily and vacuum the ash, pot, stir the pot, etc. If the unit is left for approx 4-6 hours without touching, the pot starts to back up because its not burning fast enough. It seems as though its not getting enough oxygen to burn efficiently. Has anyone experienced this or have suggestion on where to start? I just downloaded the manual but before I begin troubleshooting everything, wanted to see if someone could lead me in the right direction. Thanks,

sweetdawg99 · Jan 21, 2013

First off, welcome to the forum. That's a great stove you've got there, if I do say so myself.

In regards to the cleaning, how many bags have been run through it since its last complete cleaning? By complete cleaning I mean taking off the cast iron plates to clean around the air exchanger tubes, clean out the trap behind said tubes which leads to the combustion fan, and then cleaning the combustion fan and finally your vent pipe setup going outisde. Also, check your air instake sensor, as it may have gotten dusty, which can affect the amount of fresh air the stove calls for.

If you have done all that, and you still have a problem, then I should think perhaps the air/fuel ratio needs to be adjusted. To do that you take off the panel of the stove that has the control panel, and on the backside of it is an adjustment screw.

Someone more knowledgeable than myself will have to take over from there, since I know there are ways to tweak the air to fuel ratio, but I am unsure which way you need to rotate it from there. I think there is also a way to check the setting with a voltmeter, though I am unsure how to do that as well.

Hope I helped and good luck!

mr3313 · Jan 22, 2013

Thanks a lot for the insight. All the exhaust piping was brand new when I installed it. Haven't cleaned it yet and it's been running about a month and a half. How often should that be cleaned? I had the impression maybe once or twice a year. I'm not sure when the last time the stove itself went through a complete cleaning. It's in the teens here for the next couple of days so as soon as it warms up a little more I'll shut it down and clean as recommended. Someone was also suggesting one of the sensors may be bad and suggested bypassing it until I can replace it. I also downloaded the service manual yesterday and once I clean it I can ttry troubleshooting some of the components.

jumpinin · Jan 22, 2013

As sweetdawg said - very important to make sure all air passages are clean of ash. After 1 ton of burning I have to do a complete and thorough cleaning of the heat exchange area (tubes and back wall). Also, remove the cap (has a knurled thumbscrew) to the combustion area trap and vacuum all ash (use your scraping tool that came with stove to reach way in and scrape the walls). Seasonally I remove the combustion motor (which will require a new gasket) and thoroughly clean the exhaust port and
vent pipe. I run a vent pipe brush through the vent pipe to make sure it is completly free of ash build up. Amazing how well it runs when it is clean - as everybody here will attest to.

imacman · Jan 22, 2013

mr3313 said:
......I was recently given a 1992 model Austroflamm Integra FS.......the pot starts to back up because its not burning fast enough. It seems as though its not getting enough oxygen to burn efficiently......

Welcome to the forum. What you describe is something we hear about on this forum constantly.....and almost ALWAYS from new owners of USED stoves.

You are describing the classic "dirty stove" syndrome. The interior of the stove is clogged w/ ash and crud....combustion air can't move through it fast enough to completely burn the pellets. Results? Pellet build-up in the pot.

Stove needs to be taken apart as much as possible, and the interior cleaned. And after that, a leaf blower treatment is needed.

mr3313 · Jan 23, 2013

Thanks for all the info. I pulled off the side panels last night and gave it a good vac. I removed the access plate from the rear exhaust chamber and vacuumed all the ash out (there was quite a bit of build up in there). I also removed the combustion motor from the opposite side so I could get everything on that side. The pipes seemed pretty good. How much of an improvement would I notice if the fresh air intake was drawing from the exterior of the house? Granted, my house is 100+ years old and the windows leak like a siv, so the house is far from air tight.

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